5G based robotic telesurgery performed in Suzhou and Beijing
On September 8, 2019, a surgery trial combining a 5G network with multi-point collaborative 5G-based telesurgery robots was successfully completed in Suzhou and Beijing.
In a 5G network environment, Chinese PLA General Hospital joined hands with Harbin Intelligent Surgery Equipment Co.,Ltd. to perform this operation featuring broadband and low latency of 5G network. They successfully completed surgery trials of multi-point collaborative 5G-based robot telesurgery in Beijing and Suzhou. Technical teams of this trial utilized a 5G communication network to manipulate surgery robots in these two places, and implemented enterectomy and hepatectomy for the same experimental animal in a long range. In the course of this operation, medical monitoring information, robot information and network status were integrated together and then rebroadcasted in the Central Monitoring Hall.
Kangduo surgery robots selected for this trial are independently developed in Harbin Intelligent Surgery Equipment Co.,Ltd. It is able to complete minimally invasive surgery according to multiple operating methods, and featured with minimal invasion, delicacy, flexibility and jitter filtering, etc.
In detail, the surgery trial consists of two stages. In the first stage, damage control enterectomy was conducted by physicians in Suzhou. In surgical procedures, specific information was displayed on a screen in the Central Monitoring Hall in Beijing, including intraoperative vision, vital signs of the experimental animal, parameters of the surgery robot and 5G network parameters. Experts in Beijing took the responsibility to supervise and guide this operation in a real-time manner in the monitoring hall. In the second stage, the experts began to get involved in the surgery. They rapidly completed switching of robot consoles, and manipulated the robot to fulfill definite hepatectomy.
In the course of this trial, the 5G network is stable and has extremely low latency. No problems such as signal jamming, operational delay and blurry images occurred because of a long distance and main console switching between two places. Moreover, the robotic arms showed characteristics of timely responses, stability and accurate and effective surgical procedures, ensuring stable vital signs of the experimental animal.
Through this trial, they realize remote sharing of superior medical resources and real-time information interaction, and satisfy our demands for high-end medical resources. This is another successful attempt at the 5G network application.